Skier/Rider Responsibility Code

Skiing and Riding is a fun sport, but it can be dangerous, and sometimes fatal, if certain rules are not followed. The National Ski Areas Association issued a Skier/Rider Responsibility Code that all ski areas abide by, including Sugarbush. The seven points of the code are as follows:

Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.

People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.

You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above.

Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.

Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.

Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.

Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.

We ask all our guests and employees to abide by the Responsibility Code. Additionally, there are consequences for failure to abide by our policies regarding skiing/riding on closed terrain and reckless skiing/riding.

Skiing/Riding on Closed TerrainAt Sugarbush, we rely on our Ski Patrol to conduct trail checks to assess when each trail has sufficient coverage to open to the public. A dusting of snow can make a trail look ready for skiing, when in actuality, there may be a water bar or other obstacle underneath. Other times, trails have sufficient snow coverage for a handful of skiers, but if the trail is opened to the public, that snow will be skied off and will delay the opening of the trail. Other times, our mountain operations team is running dangerous machinery on a trail, and a skier/rider collision with that machinery could result in extreme harm.

Our ski patrol works very aggressively to open trails as soon as they are deemed safe. Until Ski Patrol has cleared a trail and dropped the ropes, the trail is closed. We require everyone to follow the rules we put in place for safe skiing and riding.

A first offense for skiing/riding on closed terrain will result in the loss of a season pass for a week, or the revocation of a day ticket. A second offense will result in the loss of a season pass for the season, or the revocation of another day ticket.

Reckless Skiing/RidingReckless Skiing/Riding will not be tolerated at Sugarbush. Reckless Skiing/Riding can refer to any skier or rider who is skiing/riding at excessive speed, failing to pay attention to skiers/riders around him/her, failing to slow down at intersections, performing dangerous jumps, or endangering other skier/riders. It can sometimes be difficult to define reckless skiing/riding, but we know it when we see it.

A first offense for reckless skiing/riding will result in the loss of a season pass for a week, or the revocation of a day ticket. A second offense will result in the loss of a season pass for the season, or the revocation of a day ticket.

We take your safety very seriously. Please respect the rules we have put in place to protect you.